Mohamad Javad Zahedi - Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Sara Shafieipour - Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Mohammad Mahdi Hayatbakhsh Abbasi - Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Nader Pourjamali - Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Mohsen Nakhaie - Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Javad Charostad - Department of Microbiology, Shahid Sadoghi University of Medical Science, Yazd, Iran
Mohammad Rezaei Zadeh Rukerd - Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Mohammad Mehdi Lashkarizadeh - Colorectal Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Fatemeh Karami Robati - Clinical Research Development Unit, Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Azam Dehghani - Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Yunes Jahani - Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Seyed Mohamad Ali Arabzadeh - Department of Medical Microbiology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Hamid Reza Mollaei - Department of Medical Microbiology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Ebrahim Ranjbar - Behavioral Disease Counseling Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

Background & Objective: Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) infection may be common in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-۱) patients and may lead to chronic infection as well as cirrhosis. We intended to determine the incidence of HEV infection among HIV-۱ patients in comparison to individuals without HIV-۱ infection.Methods: In our cross-sectional study, ۸۷ HIV-۱-positive patients were compared to ۹۳ healthy individuals in Kerman, Iran. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from all participants. Plasmas were evaluated for HEV IgM and IgG using the ELISA kit. Then, reverse transcriptase-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nested PCR) was used in RNA extractions from PBMCs to check for the presence of HEV RNA.Results: Among the subjects examined in our study, ۶۱ (۷۰.۱%) and ۷۱ (۷۷.۴%) out of patients with HIV-۱ infection and healthy individuals were male, respectively. The average ages of patients with HIV-۱ and the control group were ۴۰.۲ years and ۳۹.۹ years, respectively. No discernible differences existed between the two groups based on IgM and IgG seropositivity against the HEV. However, HEV-RNA was found in ۸% of patients with HIV-۱ and ۱.۱% of HIV-۱-negative individuals (P=۰.۰۳). There was also an association between the HEV genome and anti-HEV and anti-HCV antibodies in HIV-۱-positive patients (P=۰.۰۲ and P=۰.۰۱۴, respectively).Conclusion: HEV infection was more common in HIV-۱ patients and may develop a chronic infection in immunocompromised individuals. Here, we suggest molecular-based HEV diagnostic tests, including RT-PCR assays, should be performed in HIV-۱ patients with unknown impaired liver function tests.

Chronic Infection, Hepatitis E virus, HIV-۱, Iran, RT-nested PCR